03 May 2006

Candlelight Vigil to mark beginning of 1916 Executions

Rising Youth are holding a candlelight vigil tomorrow night (Wed. 3rd May) 9pm at the GPO to mark the beginning of the executions of the 1916 leaders. We urge as many people as possible to attend this event. Posters and candles will be provided

The 90th anniversary of 1916 has come and gone for the establishment. Lip service has been paid to our patriot dead and normal service has been resumed with the continuation of the politics of dependence and inequality. To those of us in Rising Youth, to many people in land and cross the globe, the proclamation of 1916 represents the struggle for independence, equality and democracy.

Please find attached a copy of Rising Youth's mission statement. We publish this mission statement in the interests of furthering the debate re:1916 and Irish society today.

The political values of a future just society will have at their core the principals of self-determination, independence and equality. These are to be found in the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. The vision contained within this historic document remains as significant to day as when first published at the beginning of Easter week 1916. The Proclamation asserts that “The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens … cherishing all the children of the nation equally.” Who can legitimately claim that these objectives have been achieved? In fact statistics show (CORI reports) we have been moving away from this vision of Ireland with increasing levels of inequality and poverty, with some of the worst levels in the ‘developed’ world.

We urge the people of Ireland to reflect seriously on the values and goals of 1916 and how they contrast sharply with the records of successive governments and administrations on this island. We urge the people of Ireland to become active agents for social change.

In particular we appeal to the youth of Ireland to reflect on the state of society today and the fact that apathy and hopelessness seems to be the order of the day. Drugs and depression have deeply infected the culture of our youth. As young people we need to understand our past, take nothing for granted and work to build a society where every person is of value and worth, and not just the amount we have in our pocket!

Rising Youth is a campaign of progressively minded young democrats, trade unionists, republicans and socialists formed to bring the message of 1916 back to the youth of Ireland. It holds the view that organised youth needs to be involved if we are to realise a future society based upon the principles of justice and equality, of rights and duties. We must ultimately rely upon ourselves to deliver these changes.

This vision of a Republic is based upon the recognition that peace, security, and the democratic life of the whole nation are dependant upon human rights – civil, political, economic and social. Freedom is nothing if it does not embrace these rights. Parity of esteem, equality of treatment and real economic justice must be guaranteed for all on this island. Ireland has the wealth and resources to create a society that would be a shining example to the whole world of what is possible, and join other nations in this noble project. All that is needed is the collective political will.

We in Rising Youth are confident that more and more individuals, political parties and civil society groups will join forces to collectively pursue the realisation of the democratic objectives contained within the 1916 Proclamation.